1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for preventing looseness of a button in a remote controller operating an electronic apparatus by remote control.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a conventional remote controller 50. The remote controller 50 is structured such as to operate a projector or the like corresponding to one example of an electronic apparatus by remote control. Reference numeral 1 denotes a top case, reference numeral 2A denotes a bottom case, and reference numeral 3 denotes a front cover. The top case 1 and the bottom case 2A are formed by injection molding a synthetic resin having no translucency. The front cover 3 is formed by injection molding a synthetic resin having translucency. The top case 1, the bottom case 2A and the front cover 3 are assembled by installing the front cover 3 to a front side of the bottom case 2A and fitting the top case 1 to the bottom case 2A from an upper side. The top case 1 and the bottom case 2A are fixed on the basis of a publicly known lock structure and a screwing structure constituted by a screw 9. The bottom case 2A is provided with a battery storage portion 21 storing batteries (not shown). The battery storage portion 21 is open toward a lower side. Reference numeral 4 denotes a battery lid. The battery lid 4 is formed by injection molding a synthetic resin having no translucency. The battery lid 4 is detachably attached to the bottom case 2A, and opens and closes the battery storage portion 21. Reference numerals 81 to 83 denote a connection piece installed to the battery storage portion 21. The connection pieces 81 to 83 are brought into contact with a plus pole and a minus pole of the batteries stored in the battery storage portion 21.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a button sheet. The button sheet 5 is formed by molding synthetic rubber having translucency. The button sheet 5 is integrally provided with a plurality of operating buttons 51 for operating the projector or the like by remote control. Reference numeral 6 denotes a board. The board 6 is formed by glass epoxy resin or the like. A plurality of contact 61 and LED 62 are mounted on an upper surface of the board 6. Each of the contact 61 is provided in such a manner as to correspond to each of the operating button 51. Each of the LED 62 is a light for lighting each of the operating buttons 51. The button sheet 5 is mounted on an upper surface of the board 6 in such a manner that a lower surface of each of the operating buttons 51 faces to each of the contact 61. The button sheet 5 and the board 6 are stored in an inner portion of the cases 1 and 2A. In the stored state, the board 6 is sandwiched by the cases 1 and 2A from upper and lower sides, and is fixed while being held in a side portion by the bottom case 2A. The button sheet 5 is sandwiched by the top case 1 and the board 6 from the upper end lower sides, and is fixed while being held in the side portion by the cases 1 and 2A. Each of the operating buttons 51 protrudes to an outer portion from each of holes 11 formed in the top case 1, and is operable by pressing with a finger. If each of the operating buttons 51 is pressed to operate, the button 51 presses the corresponding contact 61, and the contact 61 comes to an ON state (a conductive state).
A light 63, a light emitting diode 64, a tact switch 65 and connection pieces 82 and 83 are mounted on a lower surface of the board 6. The light 63 protrudes to an outer portion from a hole 31 formed in the front cover 3 so as to illuminate a forward side. The light emitting diode 64 transmits a signal of an infrared ray to a receiving portion provided in a main body of the projector or the like (not shown). The front cover 3 transmits the infrared ray of the light emitting diode 64. The tact switch 65 corresponds to one example of a press-in type switch, and actuates the LED 62. An electric power of the batteries stored in the battery storage portion 21 is supplied to the board 6 via the connection pieces 81 to 83. In each of layers of the board 6, there are mounted a circuit for transmitting an operation signal of the projector or the like corresponding to each of the operating buttons 51 from the light emitting diode 64 at a time of an ON state of each of the contact 61, a circuit for turning on the LED 62 at a time of the ON state of the tact switch 65, a circuit for turning on the light 63 at a time of the ON state of the predetermined contact 61, a circuit for supplying the electric power of the batteries to each of the portions of the board 6 and the like (each of which is not shown).
Reference numeral 7A denotes a lighting button for turning on the LED 62 by pressing the tact switch 65. The lighting button 7A is formed by injection molding synthetic resin having no translucency. The lighting button 7A is held by the bottom case 2A between the board 6 and the bottom case 2A, protrudes to an outer portion from a hole 22 formed in the bottom case 2A, and can be operated by pressing with a finger. The lighting button 7A and the hole 22 are provided in an opposite side to the operating button 51, and are arranged at positions of the bottom case 2A with which any finger of a hand is in contact at a time of gripping the cases 1 and 2A by the hand in a used mode, that is, at a time of gripping the cases 1 and 2A by the hand in such a manner as to operate the operating button 51 with the finger.
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view showing a portion near the lighting button 7A in a state in which the remote controller 50 is assembled. An operating portion 71 operated by pressing with a finger is integrally provided in the bottom case 2A side of a center portion of the lightening button 7A. A pressing portion 72 pressing a movable portion 66 of the tact switch 65 is integrally provided in an inner side of the center portion of the lighting button 7A. An inner portion of the tact switch 65 is provided with a contact which comes to an ON state (a conductive state) by the movable portion 66 being pressed, and a spring protruding the movable portion 66 by a predetermined elastic force (each of which is not shown). Two arm portions 73 are integrally provided in an end portion in a rear side of the lighting button 7A. A shaft portion 74 protruding to an outer side as shown in FIG. 6 is integrally provided in a tip of each of the arm portions 73. A support portion 23 is integrally provided at a position facing to each of the arm portions 73 of the bottom case 2A as shown in FIG. 7. A shaft hole 24 fitting each of the shaft portions 74 thereto is formed in each of the support portions 23. Each of the support portions 23 rotatably supports each of the shaft portions 74 fitted to each of the shaft holes 24 by an edge of each of the shaft holes 24 so as to be vertically rotatable with respect to the board 6. The lighting button 7A is rotatably supported in each of the arm portions 73 by each of the support portions 23, and is supported in the pressing portion 72 from the board 6 side by the tact switch 65, thereby being held in a state in which the operating portion 71 is protruded to the outer portion from the hole 22 of the bottom case 2A.
If the operating portion 71 of the lighting button 7A is operated by pressing to the board 6 side with the finger, the lighting button 7A is rotated in a direction moving close to the board 6 around the shaft portion 74 so as to be swung, and the pressing portion 72 compresses the movable portion 66 of the tact switch 65. Accordingly, the contact in the inner portion of the tact switch 65 comes to the ON state, the LED 62 on the upper surface of the board 6 is turned on, and each of the operating buttons 51 is illuminated. Thereafter, if the pressing operation of the operating portion 71 is cancelled, the movable portion 66 of the tact switch 65 is protruded by an elastic force of the spring in the inner portion, and presses the pressing portion 72 to the bottom case 2A side, the lighting button 7A is rotated in a direction moving away from the board 6 around the shaft portion 74 so as to be swung, and the operating portion 71 is protruded from the hole 22. Accordingly, the contact in the inner portion of the tact switch 65 comes to an OFF state, the LED 62 is turned off, and each of the operating buttons 51 is not illuminated.
In order to make the lighting button 7A freely swing as mentioned above, gaps Sa and Sb forming an allowance as shown in FIG. 7 are provided between the lighting button 7A and the bottom case 2A and the board 6. However, if the gaps Sa and Sb are provided as mentioned above, the lighting button 7A becomes shaky between the bottom case 2A and the board 6 and comes into collision with the bottom case 2A and the tact switch 65 at a time when the remote controller 50 is gripped by the hand so as to be swung, whereby a discordant noise is generated. In order to prevent this, there can be considered to make the gaps Sa and Sb extremely small. However, in this case, in the case that the tact switch 65 is mounted to the board 6 in a floating state, the movable portion 66 of the tact switch 65 comes to a state of being always pressed by the pressing portion 72, thereby deteriorating operability such as an operating amount of the lighting button 7A is reduced.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 3-82992 discloses a remote controller in which a side button pressing a push switch is arranged in a side surface of a case so as to be spaced from the push switch, a hinge-shaped rib is provided in the side button itself or in a button sheet having a plurality of operating buttons arranged within the case, and one end portion of the side buttons is pressed to an inner surface of the case by the rib so as to be held in an operable manner. However, in accordance with this structure, when the side button is pressed to operate, the side button comes into collision with the push switch, and the discordant noise is generated. Further, when the operation is cancelled, the side button comes into collision with the case on the basis of the elastic force of the rib, and there is a case that the discordant noise is generated.